Written by a Cafe 1040 Student
For four days my team and I went on a hiking excursion through the beautiful mountains of this region. Picture endless stair step rice fields, slick trails through bamboo forests, breathtaking waterfalls (great for a quick swim to wash off the mud from several falls), and herds of water buffalo. But of all the beauties my eyes saw on this trip none amounted to the beauty I witnessed within a tribe so on fire for Jesus. Throughout the region are several tribes so lost and deceived by the evil one, but the Gospel has transformed a group of people who, without the current presence of foreign missionaries, are beaming a light so bright and sharing with every group around them that same light. Being guided by some of the women, who we get to call sisters, through the endless trails and turns I was able to hear bits of their stories and passions. I want to share two memories with you all that I hold so dear:
The first full day of hiking we were constantly surrounded by fog. I remember being upset I wouldn’t get to see all the beautiful views obstructed by the blanket of white. At one point our guide told us to all stop and to look around. She continued to say that on a clear day from that spot you could see over her village and all the villages of other tribes her people where trying to share with. She asked us to take a break and pray. She said to pray that God would change the hearts of the other peoples, to open them up to his love, and to protect her people from the backlash and danger they face because of sharing. I was blown away by her conviction that her people could not save these other people but that God would be the one to do the real work in them.
I then looked out and begged God to lift the fog. To lift the fog around those peoples hearts and minds. Because there is the most beautiful sight, the most high God, just on the other side. And I asked God to lift the fog in my life, to take away all that obstructs my view of him. I know that God is lifting that fog.
The next day was significantly clearer but my body was also significantly more sore. So when the option arose to split into two groups, one going an easier route, against my pride my body screamed, “Easy route!!” I am very glad for that decision. It was on that hike that I got to know our other guide better. We talked about language and I learned how to call her my sister in her tribal tongue. We talked about the hardship she has walked through and the pain she feels when thinking of her family who are still lost. We talked about the joy we have both found in Jesus and how he truly transforms us inside and out. At the end of our hike she grabbed my arm and turned to me and said something I will never forget, “Sister, go home and tell everyone you know, your mother, father, siblings, friends, church, all of them to be praying. Pray that my family will know Jesu’s love. Pray that my people will be strengthened by Jesus in hardship. Pray that all these people here will know Him. Because we cannot change it, only God can.” And so here I am. Telling you, begging you, join me in praying. Pray with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. We know God will make himself known, it is his promise so let’s pray his promises come true. Pray that his name will be sung on every mountain top. Lift that the fog would be blown away. Lift that over the whole earth he would do crazy and powerful things.
I am truly inspired by those mountain warriors for Jesus. I thank God for the way they have shone light even to me. I know God is transforming other tribes just like them to be a light to all around them. I want to live as that same light and I invite you all to strive to do the same.
As my time in Southeast Asia comes to a close I am stirring with a flurry of emotions. God has been teaching and showing me so much over these past three months. I feel truly blessed and blown away at the way he uses all of us imperfect, messy humans for his mighty work. This has been an experience so rare and transforming. While I am sad for this season to come to an end, to say goodbye to dear friends who have yet to understand the weight of Jesu’s love for them and to leave a vibrant culture, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t excited to return stateside. I am filled with a joy and passion to share all the work God has done both in me and somehow through me. In addition, I am eager to see the next steps I will take with relationships I have back home. I am itching to invite internationals into my life and home, I am eager to share the gospel with friends, and to mobilize other Christians to follow God’s call to the nations. I am excited to hug my friends and family and return to a season of thankfulness. But until I am home, I ask dad God will make me ever so present and on fire for him here. I pray that even in just 9 days he would do miracles in my friends lives and continue to do so after I fly away. Because He is the one changing peoples hearts, changing this nation, and changing this world.
